Z-Scheme ZIF-8/Ag₃PO₄ Heterojunction Photocatalyst for High-Performance Antibacterial Food Packaging Films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Food Science

Background:

• Microbial contamination causes significant food spoilage, necessitating advanced antibacterial packaging solutions.
• Conventional photocatalytic materials face limitations in visible light efficiency due to poor spectral response and charge recombination.
• Developing sustainable and effective antibacterial packaging is crucial for global food safety and waste reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a Z-scheme heterojunction combining zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) for enhanced antibacterial activity.
• To improve visible light photocatalytic performance by optimizing charge separation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
• To create a transparent, active food packaging film with scalable fabrication for microbial contamination control.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a Z-scheme heterojunction by coupling ZIF-8 with Ag3PO4.
• Investigated the material's dual-spectral absorption and spatial charge separation properties.
• Incorporated the ZIF-8/Ag3PO4 heterojunction into a cellulose acetate matrix (CAM) to form a packaging film.

Main Results:

• The Z-scheme heterojunction facilitated directional electron transfer, suppressing electron-hole recombination and enhancing ROS production (·O2⁻/·OH).
• Synergistic effects with Ag+ release boosted bactericidal efficacy.
• The ZIF-8/Ag3PO4/CAM film achieved 99.06% antibacterial efficiency against meat microbiota under simulated sunlight, maintaining high transparency.

Conclusions:

• The Z-scheme heterojunction strategy effectively maximizes ROS generation for antibacterial applications.
• A scalable method for fabricating active food packaging materials was demonstrated.
• The developed material shows significant potential for controlling microbial contamination and extending the shelf life of food products.